It took clever thinking to write a recipe for this Irish soda bread, a family favorite (2024)

FAQs

What is special about Irish soda bread? ›

Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that does not require any yeast. Instead, all of its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk. This Irish soda bread recipe is my grandmother's and has been cherished in my family for years. It's dense, yet soft and has the most incredible crusty exterior.

Irish soda bread is prepared without yeast. Traditionally it has just four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The baking soda and buttermilk react to cause the dough to rise.

However, it wasn't until after the tragic Famines of 1845-1852, claiming the lives of one million Irish, that Soda Bread took center stage as a quick and easy bread that served as the base for other recipes.. Mainly because wheat was once again available in Ireland and foreign flour was available.

At oven temperatures, the reaction between buttermilk and baking soda produces carbon dioxide, and the bread dough rises. Soda bread's crumb however remains compact compared to regular bread, similar to an unsweetened cake. It works quite well for accompanying soups and stews, both very common Irish meals.

In many ways it resembles a scone, another example of a baked good that doesn't use yeast. It has a similar flavor to a scone, thanks to the baking soda. Though it can be made plain, soda bread's flavor is usually defined by what is added to it. Caraway seeds are a very common soda bread ingredient.

Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.

It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.

For this reason, the reality is that Irish soda bread is much closer to a quick bread or scone than a loaf of bread. It rises thanks to a process called chemical leavening, in which the baking soda (a base) reacts when it's mixed with something acidic like buttermilk to produce carbon dioxide.

You can pre-slice it before freezing to make thawing faster. Grab a slice or two as needed! It'll last 3 months in the freezer. To thaw, leave it at room temperature for an hour or two.

While soda bread is most famously attributed to Ireland, it was actually first created by Native Americans. They were the first to be documented using pearl ash, a natural form of soda formed from the ashes of wood, to leaven their bread without yeast. The Irish later discovered and replicated the process.

Can diabetics eat Irish soda bread? ›

(They're just as tasty, though!) Irish soda bread comes together quickly and this whole wheat version makes it healthier and heartier. It goes great with your favorite sugar-free jam for breakfast or as a side with your St. Patrick's Day dinner!

As to why it's important to mark the bread with a cross and “let the fairies out”, edible-ireland.com explains: “Superstition says that bread marked with a cross wards off evil, but the Irish slant is that it protects it from the fairies, who were liable to jinx your baking”.

And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

The essential ingredients in traditional Irish soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The acid in buttermilk reacts with the base of the baking soda to provide the bread's leavening. This leavening from buttermilk and baking soda is what gives the bread its name: "soda bread."

Many people enjoy Irish soda bread with a generous spread of butter, which melts into the warm bread, making it even more delicious. However, you can also enjoy Irish soda bread at room temperature or even toasted. It can be sliced and toasted for breakfast or served alongside soups and stews.

Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

Soda bread in Ireland, which you may see referred to as brown soda bread, tends to be heartier, more rustic fare, featuring wholemeal flour, a different product than our whole-wheat flour. The currant- and caraway-studded version is more common in the United States.

Yes! Between its straightforward recipe, short preparation and cooking time, and delicious taste, this is at the top of my list of bread to make! From traditional to added dried fruits, nuts and seeds, cheeses, and herbs, you can make your healthy Irish Soda Bread filled with heart healthy nutrients!